Almost two years ago I had my braces removed. They were on for nearly 4 years and were an elaborate setup as I had very messed up teeth. Anyway, since they removed them it seems I've had more cavities than ever. Most of them were behind brackets/wires etc. where they couldn't easily be seen/felt. Now I have two more HUGE cavities on my front,upper teeth which were behind pads that had broken off my permanent retainer.

What the hell is going on here? I am insane about my hygiene and always have been. When I go for my cleanings, my dentist always says I'm in good shape. Yet they keep finding all these big cavities. How do I prevent more? I brush several times a day, floss, mouthwash, use pull-thru loops for my retainers, regular cleanings. I'm VERY annoyed!

OH I know what you are going through. After mine came off I felt this big ridge worn away on my teeth. Next came the cavities! That was 12 years ago and I went from fillings to caps and bridges and now they won't stay on . This morning just brushed my teeth and this big hunk fell out of my front 400 dollar tooth. The dentist says the entire bridge which cost me $4,500 will have to be replaced. I told him no more! In 20 years I have spent $12,500 on my teeth and they are cared for believe me--But they kill me and still fall apart. I know this is terrible but I can't take the pain any longer. I am having them pulled and an upper plate put in right away!

I have this worry for my daughter who is 14. She will be getting braces in sept. of this year. I have a tough enough time getting her to brush now. I'll really be miffed if we go though all this and she ends up with a ton of cavities. Isn't there anyway to prevent this from happening? I don't believe in that floride stuff, I've heard too many bad reports on it. I was wondering if salt water rinses might help clean behind the braces. Diana

Dear Sunshine,
Please don't give up! And trust me, you do not want to geet a denture. I realize you have put a lot of money into your teeth but you must realize they are an investment. How much would you pay for a new car whose warranty is over in 3-6 years? It may be time for more drastic options but a denture shouldn't be one of them. There will never be anything that can compare to real teeth. Think of all the little things, like the fact that you won't be able to taste using the roof of your mouth anymore, or having food get trapped under your denture, or sore places on your gums or the fact that you may have to use an adhesive to keep it in and one important thing is as soon as you pull teeth you will have bone loss. Without teeth in there, your ridges will continue to shrink until someday you need a new denture. And the less bone there is, the less that denture has to hang on to, therefore you end up with ill-fitting or loose dentures. Please reconsider. Get a consultation, get info and then decide and consider keeping as many teeth as you can for the rest of your life.